Softball

MAINE vs. HARTFORD

Time, site: Saturday (2), 1 p.m., Sunday, noon; Kessock Field, Orono

Records: Hartford 4-7 (0-2 America East); Maine 7-16 (2-0)

Last meeting: Maine 9-5 on 5/9/04

Top hitters – Hartford: C Nikki Thompson (.375, 5 RBI), 2B Mallory Rapoza (.321, 3 RBI), OF Samantha Morrison (.303, 6 RBI), OF Kristie Rochette (.303, 2 RBI); Maine: 3B Lauren Dulkis (.314, 4 RBI), 2B Erin Provost (.308, 4 RBI), SS Brittany Cheney (.305, 9 RBI), CF Jess Brady (.262, 2 RBI)

Pitching Matchups

Hartford Hawks Maine Black Bears

ERA W-L Ks ERA W-L Ks

RH Briana Hout 3.43 1-2 14 RH Sarah Bennis 1.66 4-5 66

RH Nicole McMillon 3.77 2-3 18 RH Jenna Merchant 4.32 1-1 8

Outlook: The Black Bears will look for an offensive spark in their home opener after struggling to a .207 team batting average so far. Dulkis leads the Bears with 22 hits, including a team-high four doubles. Merchant, the reigning conference Pitcher of the Year, last pitched April 1 against Binghamton, a 4-0 win in which she gave up one hit in five innings. The Hawks have played just 11 games this year, but by the time they arrive in Orono they’ll have had two doubleheaders in three days. They’re coming off Thursday’s sweep of Sacred Heart. Hartford 3B Liz Borawski, one of the top hitters in America East last year, has a .200 batting average. 1B-C Amy Sullivan has three home runs and nine RBIs.

Baseball

MAINE vs. ALBANY

Time, site: Saturday (2), Sunday, noon; Varsity Field, Albany, N.Y.

Records: Maine 13-8 (0-0 America East), Albany 7-6 (0-0)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 10-3; Maine 11-5 on 5/28/04

Top hitters – Maine: 3B Curt Smith (.394, 8 RBI), 1B Joel Barrett (.383, 2 HR, 18 RBI), LF Ryan Quintal (.368, 3 HR, 17 RBI), RF Greg Creek (.360, 3 HR, 9 RBI), 2B Mike Ferriggi (.338, 2 HR, 12 RBI); Albany: LF Rashad Barksdale (.538, 1 HR, 7 RBI), 1B Steve Sayre (.429, 1 HR, 13 RBI), 2B Steve Wyland (.333, 5 RBI), DH Derek DeGrazio (.317, 1 HR, 9 RBI)

Possible Pitching Matchups

Maine Black Bears Albany Great Danes

ERA W-L Ks ERA W-L Ks

RH Steve Richard 1.64 4-0 38 RH Kyle Thomas 3.15 0-0 9

RH Greg Norton 3.06 4-1 19 RH Jeff Mazzola 9.64 1-0 12

RH Greg Creek 2.53 2-1 21 RH Ethan Vaiana 3.27 2-0 15

Outlook: The Bears move into conference play having won four in a row and seven of their last eight. UMaine continues to receive offensive contributions up and down the order and its pitching has been strong. The Bears are trying to cut down on errors. Albany, which has won five of its last six, is making its home debut. The Great Danes are a solid hitting club but haven’t been able to establish consistently effective pitching.